We’ve all heard the old saying about the “Luck of the Irish” and how that sometimes has a bearing on life’s experiences, but that had absolutely no bearing on the Notre Dame baseball team on Tuesday.
Another old saying about “if they didn’t have bad luck, they would have no luck at all” might be a bit more appropriate.
Notre Dame had lost the series opener at Silverdale on Monday and were home at Hunter Field for a doubleheader on Tuesday.
The Seahawks won the first game on Tuesday by a 5-1 final and appeared to be on their way toward a series sweep when the Irish scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead, but it didn’t matter as Silverdale knotted the score with a single run in the sixth before scoring the game-winner in the top of the eighth to pull out the 5-4 victory as they improved to 14-7 overall and 6-0 in region play while Notre Dame drops to 7-13 overall and 3-6 in region play.
Silverdale coach Lance Rorex felt like his hitters struggled at bit at the plate, but he was glad that junior Tanner Bayne had his stuff as he picked up his first win of the season with four innings where he allowed no runs on just two hits while walking three and striking out eight.
“Our hitters didn’t have a very good day, but Tanner was just outstanding,” he praised his junior hurler, who normally handles the duties behind the plate and had just thrown two innings prior to Tuesday’s outing.
“If we can just learn how to catch and throw, but it’s always good to get a region win regardless. We’re still trying to figure out just who we are and we’re about to run out of time, but we made some big plays today when we needed to and I’m thankful to get away with two wins,” he added.
Notre Dame coach Gatlyn Simmons really didn’t know what to say after his team had lost in extra innings for the fifth straight time this season.
“That was close, but I really don’t know what to say,” he began while Notre Dame players were gathering their gear and starting to exit the Irish dugout.
“There were a few calls that didn’t go our way and that’s good for them, but it still stings. It’s really hard to know what to tell my guys. All I can ask is that I want them to be competitive and hope the good luck eventually finds us,” he nodded with a smile.
Silverdale leadoff hitter Jonah Winton, who was one of the heroes in the 5-1 win in the first game, got hit by a pitch to start the game and eventually scored the first run on a two-out single by Brett Oxford.
Winton walked with one out in the third and scored again, this time on a single by Maddux Hasty. Oxford reached on an infield single and was tagged out in a rundown on a double steal, but he stayed alive in the rundown long enough for Hasty to score for a 3-0 lead.
Charlie Hurt drove in Notre Dame’s first run with a two-out single in the bottom of the third.
The Irish then had a big inning in the bottom of the fifth when pinch hitter Hunter Johnston led off with a single. Garrett Sullivan followed with a single before Cooper Jones walked to load the bases with nobody out.
That’s when Rorex replaced Silverdale starter Brody Raby with Bayne, who quickly got the first out with a strikeout on four pitches. A double error by the Seahawks on the next hitter allowed all three of those baserunners to score for a 4-3 Irish lead.
Keegan Smith and Cale Nausley both walked to reload the bases, still with one out, but Bayne then struck out the next two Notre Dame hitters to escape further damage.
Brayden Melton had a leadoff single in the sixth and eventually scored the tying run, setting the stage for the eighth inning where the Seahawks got a leadoff single from Bennett Reagan, who went to second on an infield grounder by Jacob Shelton and stole third before scoring when the throw sailed into left field.
Oxford was the only Silverdale player with two hits as the Seahawks finished with seven for the game. Sullivan had two for the Irish, who finished with six as a team.
Brycen Hammond was the Notre Dame starter, but was not involved in the decision. Freshman West Winland took the loss after allowing the last two runs on three hits while walking four and striking out four.
Brody Raby was the Silverdale starter and was saddled with all four runs after facing the first three hitters in the fifth inning. He also walked two and had four strikeouts before Bayne came in and claimed the win.
Moxon Montieth was the winning pitcher for the Seahawks in the first game.
SILVERDALE 102 001 01 – 5 7 4
NOTRE DAME 001 030 00 – 4 6 3
Raby, Bayne (5) and Shelton; Hammond, Winland (4) and Goeller.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)